Well, I don't consider myself a camera builder, more of a camera assembler as I leave all the precision work to those more qualified. But, since you also included "mods and creations" in the subject title, here's a pic of my 4x10 Swiss Lotus. It's assembled from bits and pieces from ARCA-SWISS and Lotus along with a few pieces of aluminim bar stock I bought at my local hardware store and cut on my table saw.

It works great, and thanks to the people at ARCA-SWISS and Lotus, is a pleasure to use. The weakest part of the design is (of course) the parts I built. There is a bit of flex in the rear standard - not bad. It reminds me of the Canham DLC I used to own. You can see it flex if you push on the top of the camera back, but once the pressure is removed, it goes right back where it should. So, don't push on the top of the camera back and everything is OK.

Using thicker bar stock would have minimizd this flex, but would have added weight (the camera, as shown weighs 6½ lbs.). Now that I've been using the camera a while and am pleased with the way it all works, I may design a better rear bracket (rigid and light) and have it fabbed by a local machine shop.

"Due to server loads, the APUG Galleries are now subscriber only."
- is what you get if you are not a subscriber .

I dont want to rip-off the server by hacking the forums into a gallery so perhaps you have a point ... it would be nice to have them all in one place thats all - maybe another gallery option ?

The real issue is "why aren't people subscribing"? If folks see the vaule in APUG, then we should subscribe. Give up one of the worthless magazine subscripitions or a few cokes a week.... This forum is too valuable; we all need to invest in it to make sure that it lasts.

Hand crafted 4x5

Here is a link to my homemade Alletta 4x5 camera. The designer for the camera has seemed to have disappeared and the bellows needed a coat of paint to make it light tight. I also opted to scavenge a graflok back instead of building my own.

If anybody's interested in the Alletta design, let me know. I have his book and he stiffed me for $60 U.S. before he disappeared. I will gladly sell copies of his book for $5.00 each until I have recovered my $60

Watch out jane. Selling one copy of his book could hit you for a hell of a lot more than 60 bucks as it is a direct violation of the copyright laws, whether he owes you money or not. Now you could start a loaner program. Loan it out to as many folks as you want.

Technological society has succeeded in multiplying the opportunities for pleasure, but it has great difficulty in generating joy. Pope Paul VI

So, I think the "greats" were true to their visions, once their visions no longer sucked. Ralph Barker 12/2004

These are not home built cameras, just some recovered things. It's a hobby of mine recovering old cameras with fancy skins. I buy them, replace foam, clean em up, and add new leather. Than I sell them on ebay for about what I paid for them.

So What do you get if youtake...

A piece of ply, some u shaped aluminum channel,a plastic cutting board, the front standard off some band j camera,a surgical brace support thingy.a bandsaw blade, a rabies tag for a cat, various nuts and bolts, a picture frame from the thrift store, two yards of drapery fabric and some glue oh and a bit of time..why an 8x10 camera of course! oh forgot threaded rod and brass inserts and those plastic thingies they use in the packaging for kids toys these days.

I based my design on a cross between a philips explorer and a kodak masterview, the rest was bodgefied into existance,hope you guys like it!
oh and special thanks to all those apuggers who answered other peoples questions and provided solutions, especially pfitz for the tip on using a tile to glue up frames and calamity jane for the drapery blackout fabric for the bellows.